All That Remains
by Rowan Cousland
Summary: (ON HIATUS!) Sweet Pea has escaped from the Asylum, and has returned home to her family. Baby Doll's sacrifice has not been forgotten. But why is Sweet Pea suddenly having all of these weird dreams? Never would she expect what was waiting at home for her. Contains Sweet Pea/Tommy Soldier Pairing. Set after the movie. Contains slight AU. Rated T just to be safe.
1. The Road Home

All That Remains

A Sucker Punch Fan Fiction

By Rowan Cousland

Chapter One

The Road Home

"It's me." she whispered.

"What?" I asked quietly, afraid that the guards ahead of us would hear us.

"The ultimate sacrifice." She continued whispering. She looked up at me, and stood up from her low crouch. "You have to go without me."

I stood up, putting my hands on her shoulders. "No, we can make it together. I know we can."

She shook her head. "No. You need to go home. Tell your mom what Rocket said. This is your story to tell. Not mine."

"Baby Doll…" I started. But she stopped me from saying anything else, by pressing the map, lighter, and key into my hands. "Go." She said. "I'm going to distract them. When they come after me, I want you to run. You got that?"

The determination in her eyes showed that I couldn't argue with her anymore. I nodded, taking the items she'd handed to me. "I'll never forget you, Baby." I said.

She nodded, and began to walk towards the guards. She walked to the middle of the courtyard casually, making her presence known by the guards. They noticed her instantly, and began to call the doctors out to come get her. She glanced over her shoulder at me, and gave a quick nod. One the guards barely noticed.

I ran then, clutching Blue's master key tight in my hand. I reached the gate, struggling to get the key in the lock. I heard on guard behind me shout, making my heart jump. But after another second of fighting with the lock, the key slid in, and the large rusty gate opened with a groan.

I slipped through the opening in the gate, and slammed it shut behind me, locking it again. Through the bars, I could see two men walking towards Baby Doll. One of them was holding a straightjacket. Another looked to be holding a syringe. Baby Doll's eyes rimmed with tears. She let out a breath she'd been holding in since we had entered the courtyard. She mouthed the words, "Go."

Hesitantly, I left the gate of Lennox behind. I ran for what seemed like days. I didn't stop until I was in a small town I can barely remember the name of now. I had planned to camp out in a back alley behind a motel, but the manager had seen me in my torn clothes, shivering in the rain, and had given me shelter, clothes, and food for the night.

There were five of us in the beginning. Five girls all with a common goal. To escape the hell hole known as Lennox House for the Mentally Insane.

We all had been given nicknames in the asylum by Blue, a supervisor at Lennox. He would take advantage of certain girls constantly, Baby Doll being one of his victims. The names he gave us were Baby Doll, Rocket, Amber, and Blondie. Each of them had sacrificed something in the end.

Rocket was the first one to die. In our attempt to escape Lennox, we had to get a knife from one of the cooks. Things hadn't gone as planned. I had the knife in my hands for a second before the cook took notice. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor, and the knife was kicked out of my hand. The cook had pulled another knife from his belt, and I was his intended target. But Rocket had protected me, just like I had protected her all those years ago. She'd taken the blow, costing her life. She was my younger sister. Her real name was Jena

Blondie and Amber were next. Blondie had been forced to reveal to Blue our plans of escape. In his anger, He'd shot them both, killing them. There was very little I'd known about them. I knew Amber had wanted to become a pilot before she was institutionalized, and her real name was Jamie. Blondie had a thing for weapons, and her real name was Vanessa.

Baby Doll was the last one to sacrifice herself. She'd given up in order to give me time to escape. She never told me much about herself, except for the fact that her mother had died. A few nights after her mother's death, her stepfather tried to assault her, and intended to kill both her and her younger sister in order to gain their mother's inheritance. In her attempt to protect her sister, Baby Doll had shot and killed her by accident. She had been the leader of our group. Her real name was Emily.

The only girl left was me. Sweet Pea. Rocket's older sister. She ran away when she was 15. I was 17 at the time, and I had gone after her. The police found us a week later hiding out in the woods. We were diagnosed with clinical depression after that, and it was declared so unstable, that we had to be institutionalized as well. Rocket and I both had dreams of becoming dancers some day, performing all over the world in ballets, and musicals. My name is Abigail. I liked to be called Abbie for short.

The weeks had passed after my escape. I found myself on a greyhound bus bound for my hometown. I'd been stopped once by police in Fort Wayne, Vermont. The bus driver had stopped them, claiming he'd just let me off at the bus stop to use the rest room, and that I'd been on his bus since Connecticut.

I was confused, wondering if he'd mistook me for someone else. I explained to him quietly that i didn't have a ticket, but he'd just smiled, and told me to get some rest in the back. "You've got a long journey ahead of you." He said. it was funny actually, he looked really familiar.

I'd sat down in one seat behind an elderly couple, and closed my eyes, beginning to drift off into a deep sleep. My dreams of escaping Lennox had returned to me then. They were silly dreams to be perfectly honest. I dreamt that the girls and I back at the asylum had to go through these back breaking tasks in order to escape, fighting dragons, World War One steam powered soldiers, and even robots. It was almost like a movie.

Days had gone by on that bus. I didn't get off of it, until I was back in my hometown in Pennsylvania.

And now I stand on the front porch of my parent's house contemplating whether to knock or not. It was raining again, just like that night I escaped.

After a few moments of arguing with myself, I finally released a long kept sigh, and lifted up my hand. Gathering up all my courage, I knocked.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Since the names of the actual characters are not provided, i decided to use the names of the actresses that played them. I'm not exactly sure how long this fic is going to be, or where it's going to go for that matter, but i have some ideas. Stay tuned. :)**_


	2. Reunion

Chapter 2

Reunion

The door opened to reveal my mother, Ellen, wearing her pajamas and a blue bathrobe. Her black hair was tied back into a ponytail, a few stands stuck to her face as if she'd just gotten out of the shower. She stared at me for a moment, her eyes trailing down my borrowed, muddy clothes and matted hair.

"Can I help you young lady?" She asked.

I felt the tears forming in my eyes then. I couldn't have been in Lennox that long. "Mom…" I said, the words choking on my tears. "It's me. Abigail."

Her dark grey eyes widened and lit up with realization. "Abbie?" she whispered. She brought her hands up to her mouth, holding back a gasp, finally seeing that it was me. "Oh dear God." She gasped.

The tears spilled from the both of us. She quickly brought her hands down and wrapped her arms around me, releasing sobs she seemed to be holding in forever. "Oh my sweet baby. I'm so sorry."

I buried my face in the soft shoulder of her robe, letting my own sobs out. I looked up only for a moment to see my father, Richard, standing in the kitchen. His jaw hung wide open, his eyes showing pure shock. A coffee mug slid from his fingers, shattering once it hit the floor.

My mother released me, and gently placed her hands on my shoulders. "I'm so sorry, honey. We never wanted things to end the way they did. The police wouldn't let us see you and Jena after the incident. They refused to let us talk to you, or have any contact. They said you two were too unstable." Her hands slowly slid down from my shoulders, and back to her side. She glanced over my shoulder for a moment. "Where is Jena?" she asked.

I closed my eyes, and took in a deep breath. "Mom… Rocket- I mean, Jena…. She didn't make it."

My father had joined us, taking his place by my mother. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Is she still at the hospital?" My mother asked.

I bit my lip, and my eyes dropped to the floor. I shook my head, solemnly. "She's… dead."

My mother gasped. "No." the single word seemed to hang in the air, bringing dread and despair into the room. She turned to my father, the tears back in her eyes. "I told you." She sobbed. "I told you that you should've filed a lawsuit. They had no right to imprison her like that. This is your fault!"

"No, mom." I said. "It's not Dad's fault….. Jena died protecting me."

She faced me again. "What do you mean?"

"You will want to sit down for this." I said. "It's a long story."

"Maybe you should get changed first." My father suggested. "You room is just as you left it. We didn't touch anything."

I wanted more than anything to rush back to my room. I wanted to lock the door behind me, crash onto my bed, and leave all the pain from Lennox behind me. I nodded to my dad, and stepped past them. "I'll be right back." I said.

I made my way past the living room to the main hallway. Everything was just as we'd left it. Photos of Rocket and I as kids hung on the walls, along with some family portraits, and a picture of my parents at their wedding. My fingers trailed across the glass of the frames, capturing the memories in my mind once again. I was reminded of happier times. Times that took place before the mistake Rocket and I had made.

My room was the first door on the right, with a gold foil star tacked up on the door with my name on it. Rocket's was right next door.

I opened the door slowly, and stepped into my bedroom. Everything sat as I had left it, untouched be time. Even the window I had opened to sneak out of the house was still open.

My bed was still unmade from my rush to leave and run after Rocket that fateful night, clothes were scattered across the ruffled up blankets, and my suitcase laid open. I remember telling myself that night, "She's not going to go anywhere. Do I really need to pack anything?"

My vanity still had the open make-up bag I had used the morning that Rocket planned to run away. I remember planning on going to a party with my boyfriend that night. I quickly realized that I didn't even remember _his_ name. Not that it mattered anymore anyway.

I raided through my dresser drawers, trying to find my favorite pajamas. Once that hunt was finished, I went across the hall to the bathroom to change.

The shower I took felt better than any other shower I'd taken in my life. Its funny how being away from home for so long makes you miss things like a hot shower.

With my hair brushed, and my pajamas on, I rejoined my parents in the living room. I sat down in a chair across from them. "Alright, are you ready for this?"

They nodded. My father sat forward on the couch, listening eagerly. My mother curled up next to him, placing her head on his shoulder.

With that said, I began to tell the tale of my adventures in Lennox. I told them how I'd met Emily, and within the process of one week, she'd come up with this elaborate plan to escape. I told how I was against it at first, but that the girls were all for it. I told how within that week, three girls had died, and Emily had set a fire in a supply closet and stabbed Blue in order to help me escape. I explained the nicknames, and why I kept on calling Jena, Rocket. After being there for so long, the name grew on her and me. I concluded my story, by telling them of the bus driver, and my journey home.

When I was finished, my parents were silent for a moment. "And this, Blue, did he hurt you?" my mother asked.

I shook my head. "He made me uncomfortable at times, and threatened me, but no. He never hurt me."

"I see." She said. "Jena died bravely." She added after another moment of silence.

I nodded. "She did. And I can say that I'm proud of her bravery. No one else would've done what she did for me."

My parents nodded in unison. "I hate to end this, Abbie, but I think it's time your mother and I went to bed." My father said.

I nodded. "Alright. I'll see you two in the morning."

"Do you need anything before we go to bed, dear?" My mother asked. "There's some tea on the stove."

"I think I'll grab some of that before I head off to bed." I said.

My mother gave me a half smile. "Alright dear."

With that said, my father led my mother down the hall back to the bedroom. I stood up, and walked into the kitchen to get my cup of tea.

Once that was done, I walked back down the hall to my room. Before I closed the door, I heard my father say, "Abbie."

"Yes?"

He gave me a smile. "Welcome home."

I smiled back, thanked him, and told him goodnight. When I heard his door close, I shut mine behind me, and sat down on my bed. I took a sip of my tea before setting it back down on my nightstand, the warmth making me smile again. It felt good to be back home again.

"Nice to see you again, Sweet Pea." A familiar voice said.

I quickly turned my head to see a man sitting in my computer chair. I quickly stood up backing up to the door. "Who are you?" I demanded.

"I am known by you as The Wiseman." He said with a kind smile. "And I'm here to tell you that your journey is not over yet. Your journey had just begun."


	3. Where Is My Mind?

Chapter 3

Where Is My Mind?

I kept myself close to the door, breathing heavily. "No." I said. "No, no, no, no, no. This can't be happening. It wasn't real." I began to pace across the room. "They were just stupid fantasies! They weren't real. None of it was real. And you," I threw my arms out, gesturing towards him. "You're not real. This is all a dream. It has to be. I fell asleep, and now I'm dreaming."

The man sat there, watching my ranting with a smile n his face. "It's not a dream, Sweet Pea. None of it was."

"Stop calling me that!" I snapped. "I'm home now. I'm not called by that name."

"I'm sorry Sweet Pea, but I'm afraid I never learned you real name while you were in Lennox."

"Who the hell are you!" I demanded.

"I told you. I'm the Wise Man, at least that was how you knew me as. I'm also the bus driver that drove you home."

I dropped my hand from the door knob. "How?" I wondered to myself. "How could any of that have been real? It was all just fantasies…."

"The human mind is a wonderful and curious thing, Sweet Pea." He said. "When pushed to its limits, it can make even a simple dream become a reality. A reality becomes a dream. When pushed to its limits, the human mind can bring to two to life."

"So, the robots, the dragons, the bomb… it was all real?" I asked.

"In a sense." He said. "With the help of Baby Doll, even a simple task, such as retrieving a map, became the extraordinary event of traveling through a war zone."

I could hardly believe it. All this time, what I had dismissed as silly little dreams, actually happened. It was all so amazing. The thought of what I could do now….

"Sweet Pea." The Wise Man said. "I came here, because I need your help."

"My help? Why do you need me?"

The man stood up, taking a few steps closer to her. "In two days time, Baby Doll will undergo a medical procedure that will render her mind useless. She will be unable to function on her own. She will become-"

"A Lobotomized Vegetable." I finished for him, unsure of where that had come from.

He nodded. "I need you to go back."

"To Lennox?" I asked him. He gave a slight nod. "No. No, you can't ask me to do this. I can't go back there. I won't!"

"You need to Sweet Pea." He said. "What if there was a way to go back? What if there was a way to change it all? To shape things into the way they need to be?

I looked at him confused. "What do you mean?"

"If you go back, Sweet Pea, you'll be greatly rewarded. If done right, more than one innocent life can be saved. If you open your mind enough, you won't have to go inside Lennox itself." He said. "Sweet Pea, close your eyes for a moment."

I did as he said. Within moment's music began to drift through my head. It was funny, one of the singers sort of sounded like Baby Doll.

_With your feet on the air__ and your head on the ground…_

"Sweet Pea, I want you to clear your mind of all thoughts. Open up your mind."

I did as he said, but the music still lingered within my mind.

_Try this trick and spin it, yeah__ your head will collapse if there's nothing in it and then you'll ask yourself…._

"Now, I want you to fall back. Drift off into the world you create."

_Where is my mind…. Where is my mind…..Where is my mind?_

"Open your eyes…" The man said, his voice slowly fading

My eyes shot open, and the music stopped. I looked around, seeing myself alone once again. But I was no longer in my room, or in my pajamas. I was standing in the middle of a thick jungle, dressed in the clothes I had grown familiar with during my Lennox fantasies.

I looked around, hearing the cawing of birds, and the faint screech of monkeys. "Hello?" I called out. "Anyone there?"

"Welcome to the Amazon Jungle, Sweet Pea." A male voice said. I spun around, seeing the Wise Man standing in front of me again. He was dressed in Safari khakis, holding a hunting rifle in hand. "Home to fierce jungle cats, piranhas, and ruthless warrior tribes."

"Why am I here?" I asked.

"At the end of the forest lies a tribal camp. They've taken one of our soldiers as a hostage, and plan on offering her as a sacrifice to their gods in two days time. You're the only one who can infiltrate their camp and rescue her. Once you do, I need you to bring her back here. This is your safe point. Once you're here, await further instructions. Am I clear?"

I nodded. "I got it."

"And one more thing." He said, reaching behind him. He pulled a katana from his belt, and held it out for me. I reached out, and took it from his hand, sliding it into my belt. He then handed me Baby Doll's old pistol. "Stay away from areas with lots of leaves. And avoid the tribal leader."

I nodded again. "Alright. I think I'm ready."

He merely smiled at me. "I believe you're more than ready Sweet Pea." He walked a little bit until he was standing behind me again. "You have all the weapons you need, Sweet Pea. Now fight."

I felt a rush of wind blow through my hair. I quickly spun around, only to see that he had disappeared. I sighed and turned around again. I took in a deep breath. "Alright Abbie… You can do this." I pulled my own sword from the sheath on my back. "Let's kick some ass."

With that said, I began to cut my way through the forest, and began my journey.


	4. Welcome to the Jungle

Chapter Four

Welcome to the Jungle

I continued to make my way through the jungle with every twig snap behind me sending my nerves on edge. I don't know what it was, but something about this place made me paranoid.

"Calm down Sweet Pea." I whispered to myself. I paused for a moment, realizing that I had just called myself Sweet Pea. I shook my head, dismissing it, and continued.

I began to hear rustling in the trees next to me. It sounded as though someone was moving through them, following me… watching me. I quickly brought up my gun, holding it tightly. I looked around, trying to locate the rustling. The sounds were coming from everywhere now.

I then heard a shriek, and something whizzed past my face. My head snapped to the right, seeing a metal arrow lodged in the tree. I spun on my heel, bringing up my gun again. "How's there!" I barked. "Show yourself!"

The response I received was another metal arrow, barely missing my face. I shot in that direction, not sure if I was missing or not and not caring.

Soon, three people emerged from the brush, all of them dressed in leather and metal armor. All three of them were men. One held a bow in his hand; another held a sword, and another with a spear.

"Well well well. What have we here? Another warrior comes to offer herself to our gods?" one asked. "You'll have to get in line sweetheart. We're booked for the next four days."

I didn't respond, pulling my sword from its sheath. "Oh-ho!" another one laughed. "This one's looking to fight us. What do you think boss?"

"I think we should give it to her." the one holding the spear said. He reached out to grab me.

That was his first mistake, with a sharp cry I swung my sword downward on his hand. The warrior cursed. "Son of a bitch!" his hand had come clean off, and he was clutching the bloody stump to his chest. "Get her you morons!"

With them distracted for just a moment, I started running, frantically cutting through vines and branches. That was _my _first mistake.

I'd failed to pay attention to one of the Wiseman's warnings. Stay away from areas with lots of leaves.

The moment I had stepped on a large leaf, I was lifted off of the ground by a net, dropping both my weapons, and Baby Doll's. "Damn it!" I hissed, trying to untangle myself from the net.

"Where are ya girly!" one of the warriors shouted in the distance. "You can't hide forever."

My heart pounded. I tried to slip my arm through one of the holes in the net to untie it, but I couldn't reach far enough.

"Oh lookie here boss! Looks like our little friend left behind her weapons."

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to keep as quiet as possible. Suddenly I heard a loud grunting noise, and someone drop to the ground below me. My eye cracked open a bit to see what had gone on. I caught a glance of a dead body, and opened my eyes fully.

All of the warriors were dead.

Below me, I could see a girl picking up the weapons I had dropped, and leaned them up against a tree. She then went over to a low branch where a rope was tied. She undid the loops, and slowly eased the rope up.

Before I knew it, I was back on the ground again, and free of the net. I dusted myself off as I stood up. "Thank you." I said to the girl.

The girl took the weapons in her hands, and turned to me. My breath stopped in my throat.

"R-Rocket?"

The girl smiled at me, and handed me my weapons, strapping Baby Doll's on my back.

"Jena, what are you doing here?" I asked her. She didn't answer me. She placed a finger to her lips, signaling for me to be silent. She then pointed in the distance. Not too far from here, I could see a clearing and some huts.

"Jena come with me." I told her. "We can rescue her together. And then we can go home!"

She shook her head, and mouthed the words, "Not yet."

"Why won't you talk to me?" I asked frantically. She just shook her head again, and took a step back. Then, she started running, off into the brush and out of my sight.

"Jena!" I shouted, the name not seeming to fit her anymore. It was no use. She was gone.

Tears threatened to spill from my eyes. I shook my head, shaking them away. "Get a hold of yourself Abbie. You can do this."

And with that said, I cautiously made my way towards the clearing.

There were a few other warriors in the camp, but in the very center I could see one hut with its door wide open and unguarded. From where I stood I could see a girl with snowy white pigtails sitting in a chair with her head down.

Baby Doll.

When I was sure that it was clear, I quickly made my way across the clearing, stopping once to duck behind a few barrels, thinking someone might've seen me. Then, taking a deep breath, I ran into the hut.

I quickly closed the door behind me, and walked over to Baby Doll. Her clothing was torn, and her hair was messy. I knelt down in front of her, lifting her head a bit. "Emily?" I asked quietly.

Her eyes were open, but she made no attempt to move. "Emily?" I asked again, more frantic than the first time. "Baby Doll!"

Her head shot up at that. She looked at me for a moment, and then a single tear slid down her cheek. "Sweet Pea?"

I nodded. "I'm here Baby. I'm going to get you out." I said, taking notice that her wrists were tied down to the arms of the chair. I worked to undo to knots.

"You shouldn't have come." Baby Doll whispered.

"Don't say that! Of course I'd come back for you." I said.

"No… Sweet Pea, I mean that….."

"You really shouldn't have come back." A male voice said.

I recognized that voice. I slowly turned around just to be sure. I wish that I hadn't.

Standing there was the tribal leader. Or, as he was known in Lennox, Blue Jones.

"Now, why don't you be a good little girl Sweet Pea, and step away from my little Baby Doll there?" he said with a smirk.


	5. Narrow Escape

Chapter 5

Narrow Escape

**A/N: So yeah, I'm not dead! I've been without internet for like months now, and only have it when I go to my dad's every other weekend. But fear not! Everything should get back on track soon!**

"Come on, Sweet Pea." Blue said, trying to imitate a sweet voice. "I have a strict schedule to keep, and Baby Doll here must be dealt with. So why don't you be a good girl and step away."

I drew my sword, gripping it in both hands, and stood my ground in front of Baby Doll. "Over my dead body."

"Keep it up and you'll end up that way." Blue snapped. "Do you really want to do this? I have you outnumbered. My warriors will take you down within a matter of seconds. And then poor little Rocket would've died for nothing."

"Shut the hell up!" I growled. "Do not bring her into this."

"Looks like I hit a sore spot. Listen, for what it's worth, I'm sorry about her death." He took a step closer to me. Something overcame me, forcing me to lower my sword. "But if you just do this one little thing for me, I could bring her back." He whispered in my ear.

My eyes widened. "What?"

"I can bring her back to you. You just need to step away from Baby Doll, and let me do my job. Then, you and Rocket will be reunited."

My sword was lowered completely now, and Blue stepped around me to take his position in front of Baby Doll again. I quickly glanced down at the ground, clenching a fist. "Alright." I said. I lifted my sword, and stabbed it into the ground. I looked over my shoulder at Baby Doll. "I'm sorry." I said.

Baby Doll looked at the sword, then back at me. She nodded once, and brought her gaze up to Blue. A grin crossed Blue's lips. He nodded to the two warriors that had accompanied him into the hut.

The two dashed forward, grabbing me by my arms, and pinning them behind my back.

"Sorry for the aggression Sweet Pea." Blues said, pulling a dagger from his belt. "But one must take certain precautions."

"Ey Boss. Ain't we supposed to wait for the Doctor?" One of the warriors asked as Blue stepped closer to Baby Doll.

"He's taking too damn long. I want to get this done now." And with that said, Blue grabbed a hold of Baby Doll's neck, forcing her head back, and raised the dagger into the air.

"Now Baby!" I screamed.

With the signal out, Baby Doll's free leg shot up, kicking Blue in the only vulnerable area. Stunned by the sudden blow, Blue fell back, dropping the dagger. By a stroke of luck, the dagger sliced through one of the straps holding down Baby Doll's arm, freeing her entire left side.

The warrior's looked stunned, trying to figure out how Baby Doll's leg had gotten free in the first place. I smirked at their stupidity. When I had supposedly surrendered, I had aimed my blade for Baby Doll's leg strap, cutting her free. Seeing this was enough for her to figure out what to do next.

I wrenched my arms free from the men, and spun around, kicking one in the temple, sending him to the ground. I drew Baby Doll's katana, and spun towards her. She was able to finally get herself free from the chair. "Baby!" I cried out. "Think fast."

The blade flew through the air, hilt first. Baby's arm shot up, catching it in her hand, and giving it a quick spin to get her hand used to the sword again. A smile crossed her lips.

One mistake on our part was not taking care of Blue properly, and me forgetting about the other warrior in the room. With me off guard, the warrior was able to get behind me, and wrap his arms around me, crushing me against his chest.

I struggled to throw the warrior off of me, whipping my head back to smack him in the nose, anything to get me free. But I had under estimated the warrior's height and strength. "Baby! Run! Get out of here!"

Little did I know that Baby Doll's pistol had slid from my belt, and was now half way across the floor. Upon seeing this, she quickly dropped to the floor and slid across it to grab the gun. With a quick flick of her wrist, a shot was fired.

The bullet spun in the air, curving past my head, and striking my captor in the neck. **(A/N: Think of the movie "Wanted." Kinda like that.)**But he hadn't released me before falling to his death, sending me to the floor with him. I quickly rolled out of the way to retrieve my gun and sword.

"Guards!" Blue screamed from his curled up position on the floor. "Guards! The prisoner is escaping!"

"Shit!" I hissed, running over to Baby Doll and grabbing her hand. "Let's go."

She quickly slipped her gun into her belt, and glanced back at Blue. "What do we do about him?"

I glanced out the door, seeing that Blue's cries for help hadn't reached anyone just yet. I walked over to Blue, putting my hands on my hips.

I quickly sent another kick to his groin, causing him to groan in pain once again. To add to the misery, I spat in his face. "That was for my sister you bastard."

With that, I spun around on my heel and took Baby Doll's hand again. "Alright. Now we can leave."

She smiled at me, and followed as I ran out of the hut, back to the cover of the jungle.

Before when knew it, arrows flew past our heads, striking the trees ahead of us. Blue's help had finally arrived. The safe zone was close by. I could feel it.

"Keep it up Baby!" I shouted behind me. "We're almost there! Home free!"

Baby Doll nodded, and eventually found herself running beside me. I gave her a smile. Soon this would be over.

My sudden moment of happiness was short lived. A sudden burst of pain shot through my shoulder, causing me to lose my balance and slide to the ground. I cried out in pain.

"Abby!"

I quickly regained my footing, and got back up, despite the screaming protests from my shoulder. "Keep going!" I shouted through clenched teeth. "It's just up ahead! That clearing!"

She hesitated at first, but continued running. I trailed behind her, bursting into the clearing with a cry.

I had skidded across my knees, finding myself back on the ground. I was so exhausted that I didn't even bother to pick myself up. I was panting now, wanting all of this to end.

"Sweet Pea, you're hurt." Baby Doll said, crouching down next to me.

"I'm alright. Really, I am." I sudden hiss escaped from my lips, contradicting my statement.

A hand rested gently on my shoulder. "You've done well Sweet Pea. Your mission is over. For now."

I opened my eyes, expecting to see the Wiseman standing there. But he wasn't. In fact, we weren't even in the jungle anymore. We were back in my room.

I sat up to see that Baby Doll was sitting on my bed next to me. Her eyes were bloodshot, and dark circles rimmed them. "It' worked." She said. "It actually worked."

Through all the hysteria, and the hell of a night we just went through, we both broke into laughter. The laughter turned to tears, and the tears turned into hugs.

We were free. We both were.

But I couldn't shake the ever nagging feeling that even with this mission complete, this still wasn't over.

Not yet anyway.


	6. Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This

Chapter 5

Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This

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><p><em><strong>AN: Hey, remember me? I'm not dead! I just had a major creativity meltdown, and I have waaaay to many stories going on right now, and my attention is getting pulled back and forth between stories. So yeah, sorry about the wait. Also, I promise that this is the last chapter where I use a song title from the soundtrack. But anywhosies enjoy the new chapter!**_

* * *

><p><em><em>_Our time was up. It was over. Rocket's jet pack was damaged, and the bomb was going to go off any second now. I demanded she come with me. At first, she looked like she was going to finally give up the argument._

"_Promise me two things, Sweet Pea." Rocket insisted._

"_Rocket…"_

"_Promise!" She snapped. I nodded in response. "The first thing is…. Please don't get mad about this…"_

"_W-what?" I hadn't noticed that she'd pressed the button on my pack, sending out of the train. I screamed out her name, resisting the urge to burst into tears._

"_**You couldn't save her Sweet Pea." **__A voice in the back of my mind spoke.__** "Even if you wanted to, you couldn't."**_

"_That's not true. I could've saved her." I spoke aloud. "I didn't try…"_

_I then realized something odd. I'd had this fantasy before, during our attempts to retrieve the knife back at Lennox. If my memory served correct, Baby Doll should've caught me by now._

"_**You're not letting go, Sweet Pea."**__ The voice continued. __**"For that, you will suffer."**_

_My jet pack sputtered, releasing its last bit of fuel before stalling. It was then that gravity took over. My body slid out from the pack, plunging to the ground below. I didn't even have the energy to scream._

"_Sweet Pea!"_

* * *

><p>My eyes shot open, and I was back in my room. Baby Doll was kneeling next to me with her hand on my shoulder.<p>

Memories from the night before came back to me. After somehow rescuing Baby Doll, I'd ended up back at home. I gave up my bed to her, and had fallen asleep on the floor while leaning against the wall.

A small smile had formed on Baby Doll's lips when she saw I was awake again. "You alright?" she asked.

"Y-Yeah." I replied groggily. "Bad dream, that's all." I stood up, picking up a blanket, which I didn't even remember grabbing the night before, and folding it over the footboard of my bed.

"It was about Rocket, wasn't it."

I nodded simply. "Don't worry about it though." I said, turning to her. "All that matters is that we're safe again." I looked through my closet, pulling out some clothes for the both of us. I tossed them to her. "Here. Change into these. The shower is down the hall if you need it."

"Your parents won't mind?" she asked.

"I'll explain it to them." I said. "They already know about you, so don't worry about it. If anything, they feel like they owe you for…. Well… you know."

Baby nodded. She seemed to understand that it was the last thing I wanted to talk about. And with that, she slipped into the hallway, and made her way to the bathroom.

While she was gone, I quickly changed into my clothes, and made my way out to the kitchen. My mother was standing at the stove, cooking a batch of scrambled eggs, and my father was sitting at the table, reading the newspaper.

"Morning, Mom." I said, going to the cupboard to grab a glass. "Morning, Dad."

My mother turned away from the stove, looking at me with wide eyes. "Abigail, where in God's name have you been?" she shouted. "I understand that you're a grown woman now, but you can't just drop by here and disappear again! You're father and I have been worried sick!"

"Whoa, wait a second mom!" I said, putting my hands up. "What are you talking about?"

"You've been gone for three days!" My mother snapped. "Or did you forget that? What were you doing that was so important you couldn't tell us?"

"Mom…" I groaned.

"No, Abbie. Tell it to us straight. What were you doing?"

"Um, excuse me." A quiet voice spoke.

I turned to see Baby Doll standing behind us, dressed in the clothes I had let her borrow, and a towel wrapped around her head. "You're out of towels." She said. "I thought I'd let you know."

My mother's eyes only grew wider, and my father had finally closed up the newspaper, and was paying attention. "Um… Hello." My mother said.

I sighed, turning back to my mom. "Mom, Dad….. This is Emily."

My mother was speechless.

"You don't mean…" My father started.

I nodded. "Yes, I mean _that_ Emily. Baby Doll."

My mother took a step forward, gently pushing past me to get a better look at Baby. She took Baby's hands in her, and looked at sincerely into her eyes. "I can't thank you enough." My mom said. "What you did for my little girl…. I've never seen such courage. Thank you… Thank you!"

"It… It was nothing ma'am." Baby Doll replied. She honestly was not sure how to respond to this.

"Nothing?" My father questioned, standing up. "You were ready to give up your life to let our daughter live. I don't see that as nothing."

Baby Doll slid her hands from my mother's grasp, and took a step back. "Well… you're welcome." She said, dropping her gaze to the floor.

Seeing her discomfort, my mother turned back to me. "Abbie, I wish you'd just told us."

"I didn't really have a choice in the matter." I said, my own gaze shifting to Baby Doll. "I couldn't leave her there." _She's been through enough. _I added mentally.

My mother nodded, quickly turning her attention back to the eggs on the stove. "You girls hungry? There's enough for all of us."

Baby Doll's eyes lit up at the mention of food, and a smile crossed my lips. "I think we're up for some food." I said, striding over to the kitchen table. Baby followed suit.

* * *

><p>After the four of us had eaten, and my father had taken care of the dishes, there had been a knock at the door. Originally, I had stood up to answer it, but my mother stopped me, taking my place. Slowly, I sat back down at the table.<p>

My mother moved the curtains at the front window slightly to get a peek at who was at the door. She quickly spun around, and motioned for me and Baby to leave the table.

"What is it?" I asked.

She hissed at me to be silent, and quickly strode back to the table, grabbing onto my hand and Baby's. "Richard, you answer the door. And whatever you do, do not let them in!" she spoke in a hushed tone, and led us down the hall back to my bedroom. "Stay here." she said. "Close the curtains, and stay away from the window."

"Mom, what is it?" I asked.

"It's the police." She whispered. "I think they're looking for you and Emily."

Baby Doll's eyes widened, and she quickly moved across the room to close the curtains. I turned back to my mom. "What about you and Dad? What if they question you?"

"Don't you worry about that." She said. "You two just stay hidden, alright?"

I nodded, and she departed. I spun on my heel, turning to Baby Doll. "We need to hide." I said, my eyes darting around the room. "The closet!" I slid open the closet doors. There was enough room for the two of us if I moved some shoes. "You okay?" I asked Baby. She looked uncomfortable with the idea.

She shook her head, almost as if breaking a trance. "Yeah." She said, ducking down into the closet. "Come on!"

I ducked down after her, closing the door behind us, and submerging us in darkness.

A few minutes passed before I heard my father's voice from the hallway. My heart pounded in my ears, and I could hear Baby Doll's breathing quicken in pace. I shut my eyes and held my breath as I heard my bedroom door open.

"_Please don't look in here!"_ I thought. _"Please, please, please!"_

Suddenly, the closet door shot open, and the light flooded back in. I kept my eyes shut, not wanting to see the fate before us.

"Morning, Ladies."


	7. Back Down The Rabbit Hole

Chapter 6

Back Down the Rabbit Hole

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><p><em><strong>AN: Sorry I haven't been updating guys. I've had a lot of personal crap going on, but I'm better now, and this story is back in business! Also, a gold star for anyone that can guess where the song quotes I used are from. :D But enough of this silly author's note. On to the action!**_

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><p>"Sweet Pea," I heard Baby Doll gasp. "Open your eyes!"<p>

I shook my head, keeping them shut tight. I didn't want to see the face of the man that now held our fate.

"I'd suggest you hurry, Sweet Pea." The male voice spoke. "Your parents won't hold the police off for long."

It was then that my eyes opened, recognizing that voice. "You!" I gasped.

My gaze fell on the smiling face of the Wiseman. His hand was held out to me, and I took it thankfully.

He pulled me out of the closet and to my feet. "Hello again Sweet Pea and Baby Doll. I hate to cut this reunion short, but I'm afraid you two don't have much time. In about two minutes, those policemen will barge through that door. You need to make sure you're out of here by then."

"Where would we even go?" Baby Doll asked. "There's nowhere left to run."

The Wiseman's smile only grew. "I'm glad you asked. Just outside of town is an abandoned firehouse. It will serve as a safe house for you two until you choose to leave it." He then turned to my closet, grabbing a green backpack. He took some clothing of mine off of the hangers, and stuffed it into the bag. He then went over to the drawer of my dresser, grabbing a small plastic bag where I had stashed my savings over the years. It surprised me that he seemed to know where I hid everything. He then turned to me, handing over the bag.

"Thank you." I said, slipping my arms through the straps. "Thank you for everything." Baby Doll added.

The Wiseman smiled. "My pleasure, ladies. Oh, and one other thing. When you get to the safe house, there's a little surprise for Sweet Pea."

I looked up at him curiously. "Me?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yes, you. And, remember this. Both of you. Not everything is what it seems. Sometimes, the pain of losing someone is so strong, that it takes over our minds, distorting our thoughts and feelings. Sometimes, what we think is lost forever, is right where we left it." He stepped off to the side, walking until he was behind us.

"Wait." I said, turning to face him again. "What do you…?" I paused. He was gone. Again.

"Hey did you hear that?" A male voice asked from the hallway.

"Sounded like it was coming from the bedroom." Another voice responded. It didn't take a rocket scientist to tell that it was the police.

"Hurry!" Baby Doll said quietly. I nodded in response, gathering up any other supplied I would need. Then, an idea struck me. I turned to my radio I kept on my shelf, and turned it on. This would give my parents an explanation for the noise at least.

I then turned to my window, the soft sounds of the music floating throughout the room.

_I invite you to a world where there is no such thing as time, and every creature lends themselves to change your state of mind… _

Slowly and carefully, I lifted the shutter and climbed out to my front yard.

… _And_ _the girl who chased the rabbit, drank the wine, and took the pill, has locked herself in limbo to see how it truly feels…_

* * *

><p>When my feet finally touched the ground, I began to hear the sound of a siren, and dogs barking. I felt rain pelting down on my hair, and mud sinking into my shoes. My house was no longer a house, but a large concrete wall. That wall connected with three others to create a prison.<p>

"Come on, Baby!" I called to her, somehow automatically knowing what our situations was, and how to handle it. "We need to get out of here!"

She nodded, jumping down from the large hole in the wall. "Let's go." She said, grabbing onto my arm.

Together, we started running. Behind us, I could hear dogs barking and men shouting. "Their getting away! Stop them!"

A gunshot rang out, and I quickly ducked my head. The bullet whizzed by my ear, embedding itself in a tree up ahead. "We need something to hold them off!" I said. "We can't keep them running forever!"

"What's in the pack?" Baby asked. I quickly tossed a mud stained backpack, which obviously wasn't the one I'd left my house with, to her, allowing her to look through it. I'd begun to learn not to question the things that were going on, and to just keep running.

It was the only thing I could do now.

"Money, spare clothes, pocket knife….. Here!" She cried tossing me a small plastic package. The label read as "Beef Jerky"

"Perfect! This should get the dogs off of us!" I ripped the package open with my teeth, and tossed the pieces of beef behind us. The barking of the dogs decreased, and was replaced with the snapping of their jaws as they ripped into the jerky.

"All that's left is the prison guards. We get rid of them, and we're home free!" Baby added.

I nodded, my feet pounding against the muddy ground. My heart slammed against my chest as we neared a ravine that was too far across for me to measure mentally, and god knew how deep it was. Baby's eyes widened, showing instant panic. "Sweet Pea!" She cried, trying to get my attention.

I shook my head, keeping my focus forward. "We're gonna have to jump!" I said.

"Are you crazy?!" She shouted. "It's got to be miles across! We'll never make it!"

"We have to try!" I responded. "Hold onto my hand, and get ready to jump. On three, ok?"

She nodded, squeezing my hand into an iron grasp. She knew well enough that I was as scared as she was. "One…" I said my voice on the verge of cracking.

"Two…" Behind us, I could hear the guards shouting, and more dogs barking. They'd brought reinforcements….

"Three!" With a quick leap, we flew through the air.

A female scream was heard, but none of the guards could tell who it belonged to. As they neared the ravine, they came to a skidding halt, kicking up dirt and rocks and sending the pieces of earth over the edge.

"They wouldn't have survived that." One guard said.

"Definitely not." Another man grunted. "It's a long way down from here."

"Poor things were that desperate…" One other guard piped up. "Well, I guess that's all for today men. Let's head back."

As the men dispersed, none had noticed a figure that clung to a root that shot out from the wall of the ravine. And clinging to the hand of that figure, was a smaller figure dangling for her life.

Baby Doll shut her eyes, clinging to my arm. I had done the same, praying to god that the root would hold the two of us. The muscles in my arms strained to hold Baby and myself up, and threatened to let go at any point in time.

"Baby…" I manage to say through clenched teeth. "Whatever you do, do not, _I repeat_, do not let go, or look down. Everything is going to be ok. Alright."

"Yes!" Baby squeaked, sounding as though she was on the brink of tears. "Sweet Pea, please don't let me fall. Please…"

"I'm not going to let you fall, alright!" I said, trying to move my arms enough to keep them from locking up. I opened my eyes a bit, seeing that there was a small ledge jutting out from the cliff side. It was close enough to where I could get Baby Doll to safety, and maybe myself.

"Baby, I want you to listen to me alright? I'm going to swing you towards that ledge. You see it?"

Baby Doll opened her eyes, seeing what I had meant and immediately looked back at me with wide horrorstruck eyes. "No, you can't!" She cried. "The branch will break! You'll fall!"

"_Baby Doll_!" I snapped. "Don't worry about me, you hear! I'll be fine!"

"You have to promise me… Promise me you'll be ok!"

"Baby…" I groaned, pain shooting up my arms,

"_Promise_!"

"Alright, fine! I promise I'll be ok! Just do as I say, alright?! Tuck your legs under you, and be ready to let go."

Baby Doll nodded briskly, crossing and tucking he legs beneath her. With a sharp cry of pain, I swung my body to the left, swinging her with me, and towards the ledge. When we'd finally gained enough momentum, Baby released my arm from her grip, and flew to the edge.

By a stroke of luck, she'd landed on the ledge effortlessly. I let out a sigh of relief, preparing myself for my swing.

A sudden snapping noise shattered my heart and my hopes. My gaze shot above me, seeing that the root really was breaking. Baby Doll frowned, noticing something was wrong. I looked back at her, trying to quickly swing myself forward.

That was my biggest mistake ever.

The branch snapped in my hands, taking away my chance of safety. Slowly, or so it seemed, I began to fall.

"Sweet Pea!" I heard Baby Doll scream.

I closed my eyes, waiting for the impact that would end my life. At least now, I'd be with Rocket again.

I felt an impact with _something_, but the wind still rushing through my head and the sudden feeling of vertigo concluded that I hadn't hit the ground. My eyes shot open, seeing that I was wrapped in the muscular arm of a man. "Hang on to me!" A voice spoke, bringing a sense of familiarity to my heart. Immediately, I flung my arms around the man's neck, and clung for dear life, squeezing my eyes shut again.

I could tell from the momentum that we were swinging back and forth across the ravine. We swung approximately four times before we had landed on the solid ground of the ledge. When my eyes opened again, I was bombarded by Baby Doll throwing her arms around me, trapping me in a tight hug. When the embrace concluded, I turned to thank my timely rescuer.

I didn't see him at first, but I turned around once again, seeing that the ledge wasn't just a ledge, but a cave cut deep within the rock. The hero of our encounter was sitting at a small fire, poking at it with a thin stick.

The firelight danced across his face, but one feature of his stood out against the dim light.

A pair of dark green eyes.

My breath caught in my throat, a memory flashing to my mind.

* * *

><p><em>The five of us stood in World War I trench, preparing ourselves for the battle at hand against the Germans and their steam powered soldiers. Blondie found herself distracted, her eyes scanning across the soldiers. One soldier stood out among the others. A boy, who couldn't have been older than sixteen, with dark green eyes fixed at her. Blondie stepped forward, tossing back his helmet and bringing his face up to get a better look at him. Like the other soldiers, his face was covered in dirt, blood, and grime. Yet, his eyes held a glimmer of hope. Hope that this war would end soon and he'd never have another comrade die in his arms again. The face of this boy made Blondie want to cry, but she kept a hard, expressionless face.<em>

"_Blondie." I snapped, glancing over my shoulder. "Focus."_

_I'd caught a glimpse of the boy myself. I wanted to cry as well, but it had nothing to do with his age, that glimmer of hope in his eyes, or any of the horrors he'd had faced. No…. it was something else…. Something different entirely._

"_But, Sweet Pea…" Blondie whispered, turning back to me. "He… He looks like…"_

"_I know who he looks like." I snapped. "You know as well as I do that it's not him. So get your head out of the clouds, and focus on the mission."_

_Blondie frowned, and glanced back at the boy, giving him an apologetic look. He nodded sternly, and turned his attention to his weapon that had suddenly needed to be reloaded again. _

* * *

><p>I didn't want to believe it then, and I didn't want to believe it now. He couldn't be alive. There was no way… I'd gotten a letter from the General himself that he'd been killed in action…<p>

"E-Eric?" I stuttered.

Those beautiful green eyes of his fixed their gaze on me, and my heart wanted to melt.

"Hello, Abigail."

That voice… those eyes…. It couldn't be. No… It wasn't him.

I closed my eyes, placing my head in my hands. No. It was all a trick. This was all a part of those damn fantasies I was always living in. No, no, no.

When I opened my eyes again, I was no longer standing on that ledge in the pouring rain. I was now standing in an old abandoned building, covered in cobwebs and age old graffiti.

The firehouse.

Both Baby Doll and…. and _that man_ was staring at me, concerned. "Sweet Pea?" Baby asked.

"No…" I whispered, suddenly feeling sick to my stomach. "No. It's not you. It can't be you."

"Abby." That damned voice spoke, getting closer to me. I could feel a hand reaching out for me, and I immediately smacked it away. "Don't touch me!" I hissed. "You _are not_ him. You can't be! No… This isn't real…. This is a dream… it… it." My head was swimming, and nothing made sense to me anymore. I felt my knees becoming weak, and I fell to them, my vision beginning to fade.

"Sweet Pea!" I heard a voice call. But I knew it wasn't Baby Doll's this time.

Slowly, I felt everything fade away as I slipped into unconsciousness.

_Her name is Alice…. And even though she's dreaming, she's unlocked the meaning for you._

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: And right there folks is my introduction of the Tommy Soldier from the trenches into my lovely series! You'll learn more about why he's important in the next chapter, and my take on why he was even brought up in the movie in the first place. I knew there had to be some reason as to why, and I had fallen in love with the idea of the Sweet Pea/Tommy Soldier pairing. It also irritated me how it wasn't elaborated in the film on why the character was even there in the first place. Oh well, I guess that's what fan fiction is for then. **_

_**So, what do you guys think of my comeback chapter? Let me know!**_

_***Sigh* It's good to be back.**_

_**Keep on rocking my lovely readers!**_

_**- Rowan Cousland**_


	8. A Soldier's Promise

Chapter 7

A Soldier's Promise

**_A/N: I'd like to point out; Sweet Pea is 23 in my story. Also, I've heard a lot of different people tell me when exactly Sucker Punch takes place, and I don't think the timeframe they say on Wikipedia is right. So, I'm writing it as if the movie took place right after World War 2 because that seems to make more sense to me. Don't ask why, it just does._**

* * *

><p>*Eight Years Earlier*<p>

War was waged upon the world.

America needed soldiers.

Someone had to defeat the Germans.

I just wished it didn't have to be him.

It was 1941. I was 16 when I'd met him.

Eric Hudgens.

I had bumped into him accidentally in the hallways of our school, dropping my books and papers everywhere. Like every other classic meeting between a boy and a girl, he had knelt down to help me gather my things and introduced himself.

That meeting had been a turning point in my life.

We went to the same high school, but apparently we'd known each other longer than that. He'd always said he'd known me since Kindergarten and his friends would pick on him for saying how pretty I was. I always felt bad after he told me that story. It bothered me how I could never remember him.

He sat behind me in Biology class. Every day I greeted him with a smile when I walked in, he always returned the gesture with a half-smile. That small smile would always make me blush, and that smile of his would turn into a laugh.

I would take my seat and try to stop my face from turning any redder than it already was. His smile never faltered, and his eye never left me. Those gorgeous, dark green eyes.

Eventually, we traded the smiles for actual words. We would talk briefly before and after class, then we would spend most of our lunch break talking. He'd told me everything about his life, and was just as interested in mine. I'd told him about Rocket, who was 14 at the time, and how she was obsessed with being exactly like me.

He'd mentioned a sister of his own who was only a year younger than me, and he'd thought that her and Rocket would've been best friends.

The two girls had never really gotten around to meeting, but that would change eventually.

Eventually, Eric and I's awkward friendship blossomed into a romance. For the rest of that year, we'd spent every moment we could together. He'd even sneak out at night just to see me. Some nights, his timing couldn't have been better. Some nights, I needed him there for comfort.

We'd never _done_ anything those nights he'd come over. The most that would happen would be him falling asleep on my bed and me curling up next to him. Every morning he'd leave before I woke up, just to make sure he never got caught by my father.

He'd made me the happiest person in the world. As a bonus, my entire family loved him.

He was my Prince Charming. My knight in shining armor.

Nothing could separate us. We were unbreakable.

Or so I thought.

We were at the park when he'd told me. We were laying in the grass, watching the clouds roll by. As usual, we talked a lot. They were never serious conversations or in depth topics. It was small talk to some people, but to us it was a lifetime's worth of conversing.

"Sweet Pea," He said. It was his nickname for me, and it always made me smile. "I've got something I want to ask you."

I rolled over onto my side, resting my head on my hand. "What is it?" I asked.

His gaze wasn't as playful as it usually was. It was a serious gaze that didn't seem to fit with those eyes. "Well, I've been doing some thinking. This war with the Nazi's and the Japanese is getting too out of hand. They're attacking our military bases for Christ sake, and they're making everyone in the country afraid to leave their homes."

An eyebrow rose as my response. "And? What are you saying?"

"Abby…. I feel like I can do something about it. I've put a lot of thought into it, and my mind has been made up." He finally rolled over and faced me. His hand that wasn't keeping his head elevated came up to caress my face. "I love you, you know that?"

"Eric, what are you saying?" I repeated.

He closed his eyes for a moment, obviously contemplating what to say. "Abby, I'm joining the army." He said, opening his eyes again. "I want to fight for my country, and I want all this terror to stop. I don't want to have to go to sleep every night wondering if someone is going to attack us again."

I pulled away from his touch and pulled myself into a sitting position. "What? Are you insane?" I said louder than I intended to. "You don't have to do that! We're winning, aren't we?"

"Abby, they tore apart Pearl Harbor! How is that winning for our side?"

"Well why should you have to go and fight? There are plenty of people that can do it! You don't need to."

He followed my actions, lifting himself off the ground until he was sitting, and took my hand. "I _want_ to do this. I know it's risky. I know the consequences. But if it means I can keep you safe, I will gladly lay my life on the line."

"How could you say that?" I'd asked, tears rolling down my cheeks. "Don't you care about the consequences? What would your parents think if you told them this? What about your sister? How could you even consider this?!"

"Abby, I've told you why already. I will walk through the fires of Hell to protect you and my family. This war is putting everybody at risk, and you know it. If my fighting is what keeps you safe, then so be it."

"You're not even old enough." I pointed out.

"I'm 17, Abby. They're recruiting 15 year olds! If they think 15 year olds are old enough to fight for their country, why can't I?"

I didn't respond that time, pulling my knees to my chest and resting my head upon them my knees. I didn't like this one bit.

"I leave tomorrow morning." He said.

"And you waited until _now_ to tell me!?" I cried. "How could you?! Do you _not_ care about my feelings on this!? I…. I…" My words broke into sobs. He pulled me into his arms and smoothed my hair with one hand. "I'm sorry Abby. I really am." He whispered. "But better I tell you now than never tell you at all, right?"

I nodded, not wanting to speak. I didn't want to leave his arms. I just wanted to stay at that park, under that tree.

"I want to spend every last minute with you until I have to leave." He said.

"I do too." I replied, wiping away any tears left on my face. I then pulled myself from his grasp, and took his hands. "I want tonight to be the night."

As vague as that sentence was, he knew what I was saying. It was something we'd talked about quite a bit. I had originally wanted to save it for when I decided to get married, but that was before he came into my life. That was before I'd fallen in love.

"What if Jena finds out? You know she can't keep a secret. Your parents will find out the minute she does."

"Are you sure you're not talking about _your_ sister?" I asked half laughing. He smiled in response. "True point…. I guess we could rent a motel room tonight. You could go home tomorrow morning before anybody wakes up, then we could meet up at the train station before I leave."

I nodded, and leaned in to kiss him.

That had sealed our plans.

We'd spent the rest of the day walking around town. At one point, we'd passed by a jewelry store, and Eric proceeded to drag me into it. We'd walked out of the store with two golden lockets. Each would eventually hold a picture of the two of us.

That night had been a turning point for me. We'd gotten the room, and the door remained locked until 5 o'clock the next morning.

By the time the sun rose, everything changed.

**_(A/N: I'm pretty sure everyone could gather what went on. If not, that's my fault. I'm not really god a t being subtle about those kinds of things.…. Also, for those of you that would like to add a bit more emotion to this upcoming scene, I would suggest listening to "Brothers: Instrumental Version" from Fullmetal Alchemist. It fits perfectly and I was listening to it while I was writing it. Just thought I'd say that.)_**

The rest of the plan carried out flawlessly. I'd gotten home without anyone noticing.

By the time I was at the train station, Eric was already saying goodbye to his parents and his sister. Jena and my parents had stayed home, knowing that I wanted to be alone for this.

As his sister pulled away from their hug, he caught sight of me and flashed a dazzling smile. Unable to hold back the tears and emotions welling up inside me, I ran towards him, pushing myself pass the crowds of people forming.

I threw my arms around his neck, holding him tightly. My body shook as I cried into his shoulder. One of his arms wrapped around my waist, and the other hand was rubbing my back. "It's alright Sweet Pea." He whispered. "I'll be back before you know it. I promise."

I nodded. "Write to me every day."

"Only if you promise to write to me." he replied.

"Shut up! Of course I promise."

He chuckled, and pulled away from me. "I love you."

Instead of replying with my usual "I love you too" I simply took a hold of his face, stood on my toes, and kissed him. He returned it, holding me tighter.

Once I had pried myself away, our lips stayed only inches apart from each other. "Kick some ass for me, baby." I whispered.

A small smile graced his lips. "I will. And I promise the moment I return, your house will be the first one I visit. I'll come home, Abby. You can count on that."

The train whistle blew, indicating that it was time for him to leave. Tears that I had been holding back escaped in a single quiet sob. Eric kissed my forehead, and stepped back. "I've got to go, Abby. Whenever you need me, just open up that locket. Know that I'm never too far away."

Unable to speak, I just nodded in response.

And with that said, he boarded the train. He'd waved goodbye to me as the train pulled out. I was in too much pain to even think about waving back.

Keeping to our promises, we'd written to each other for god knew how long. We'd kept it up for months, not ever intending to stop until he returned home.

About four months later, the letters stopped coming.

This had worried me for quite a bit. I kept telling myself not to be paranoid, but it never seemed to help. The constant thought of him getting hurt in battle, or worse, was burning in my mind. I wasn't a very religious person, but I eventually started praying every night for his safe return.

Finally, after another month of waiting, I had received my answer. But it wasn't one I wanted to hear.

When I had come home from school that day, a letter was resting on the coffee table, unopened. My name was written on the face of the envelope, but it wasn't Eric's handwriting. I was confused by this, but opened the letter regardless.

I only had to read one phrase of that letter for my entire world to crumble.

_"I regret to inform you that your betrothed, Eric Hudgens, has fallen in battle."_

My heart shattered, and my eyes welled up with tears. My throat felt as if it was closing over, making it hard for me to breathe. It hadn't even registered in my mind that I had been called his betrothed.

The letter crumpled in my now clenched fists. I slid to the floor, curling up in a ball against the island in the kitchen.

"No…." that one heavy word had started off as a whisper, but had gradually become the one word I screamed for the rest of the night. I wept, my body staying within its fetal position. Absentmindedly, I had even started rocking myself back and forth. I'm sure if I hadn't been in Lennox a few days ago, I would've been sent there back then if my parents had seen me.

Luckily, only one person did. Rocket.

She'd come home that day a bit later than I had. She skipped into the living room with the biggest smile on her face. "Abby? You home yet? I had the most fantas-." Her words cut off in a gasp upon seeing me. "Abby?! What's the matter?!" She cried, sliding to her knees beside me.

I couldn't tell her. That meant I'd have to come to terms with the reality of it myself. I refused to do that. But the crumpled up piece of paper beside me was her clue. She picked it up, and read over it.

A gasp escaped her lips. "Oh, Abby…" She said, wrapping her arms around me like _I _ was the baby sister here. "Abby I'm so sorry."

"He promised….." I whispered. "He PROMISED!" The sobs broke out again. Jena shushed me. "I know he did. I'm sorry Abby…. Come on, let's get you up."

She helped me to my feet, which had become practically useless from my laying on the floor. From there we walked to my room, and I had finally regained enough strength to pull out my pajamas and drag myself to the shower.

After all of that, Jena had me sit down, and read the 2nd letter that I didn't even know was in the envelope. She pulled something else out of the envelope as well, but I wasn't going to see that yet.

I read over the letter, but none of the words seemed to help with the pain. It was the last letter Eric was supposed to send me. He'd talked about how the real fighting had started, and how he'd thought of me every single day. He'd said how much he'd missed me, and couldn't wait to finally get back.

But part of him was also afraid of what could happen. The very last line of the letter read,

_"If I should fall in battle today, tomorrow, or any other day, I must ask you one last thing Abigail…. Will you marry me?"_

My breath caught in my throat. My mind suddenly went back to that day in the jewelry store. He'd gone off by himself to talk to the clerk. Could he have bought the ring there?

Jena sat herself next to me and held a closed hand to me. "Now Abby, I'm going to give this to you. But you need to promise me that you'll pull yourself together. You need to promise that you won't do anything stupid because of his death, alright?"

"Jena.." I groaned.

"Don't you 'Jena' me, Abigail!" she snapped. "Promise me."

"Alright! I promise!" I replied, holding my hands up in surrender. She grinned, and slipped the ring onto my finger. "Thank you Abby." She then threw her arms around my neck, pulling me into a tight hug. "It'll get better, I promise." She whispered. "This isn't the end. There will be other guys."

I closed my eyes, my mind retreating back to that night at the motel. "Yeah." I whispered back in reply. "But not like him."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: And there we have our background folks! I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter as I did writing it! Let me know what you guys think! Your feedback is greatly appreciated!_**

**_Hugs and kisses!_**

**_-Rowan Cousland_**


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